Tie rod clamp



F eb. 5, 1935. c. A. KEMPER TIE ROD CLAMP Fi'led NOV. 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Calvin A. Item oer INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Feb. 5, 1935. ,A K ER 1,990,234

TYIE ROD CLAMP Filed Nov. 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Calvin A. Kemioe; I

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 5, 1935 j UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE m non cums Calvin A. Kemper, Chicago, Ill. Application November 19, 193;, serial No. 643,466 3 Claims. (01. 25-131) This invention relates to red clamps.

One object of the invention is to provide holding devices or clamps adapted to hold-forms or molds, such as concrete forms or other structures temporarily in place, which clamps are not onl economical to manufacture but are convenient in use and the major portions of which can be reused repeatedly.

Another obiect ,of the invention is to provide a clamp of the character mentioned having two rod portions which are connected together in use improvements in tie by a metal rod threaded on each end commonly called a stud bolt which is embedded in the concrete wall or structure with-which the clamps are used, the rod portions of said clamps being removable from the stud bolt after the concrete has set sufllciently by unscrewing the rods from the embedded bolt, the removed rods leaving merely relatively shallow cylindrical openings in the concrete which can then be filled readily with concrete.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tie rod clamp having cooperating rod sections detachably connected by a stud bolt, which sections are slotted transversely for cooperation with one or more specially designedwedges by means of which the clamp maybe employed merely as wall ties or as both wall ties and spacers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clamp having rod sections which are slotted to form shoulders shaped to enable a wedge to so cooperate therewith that theclamp can -be disposed at various angles with respect to the wall forms or structures with which it is used for hold-. ing said structures against relative movement either forward or away from each other.

Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement of parts whichwiil be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an elevation of she rod embodying featureaof the present improved clamp,

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof, I Figure 3 is a section taken online 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a sectional view through a concrete wall and the supporting forms illustrating one use of the invention, I

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure .4, but illustrating a mode of using the-tie rod for both tying and spacing purposes,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4, but il1us-.

trating the tie rod used in I conjunction with nonvertical forms,

Figure 11 is a vertical section taken on line 10 11-11 of Figure 10, and

Figure 12 is a side elevation shown in Figures 1-0 and 11.

In the drawings, 10 represents a cylindrical tie of the structure 1 rod, a pair of which is used in conjunction with I a connecting stud bolt 11. Each of the rods is provided with a threaded recess 12' for receiving a threaded end of a stud bolt and adjacent the opposite end of each rod one or more slots 13 are provided to form integral shoulders 14 lying with- 0 in the contour of the rods. As shown in Figure 2, the slots 13 are arranged in opposite pairs. One or more pairs of wedges are used-with each assembled tie rod structure depending on the useto which the rod is placed.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 illustrate the preferred construction of the wedge which is indicated generally by the numeral 15. Adjacent the thin edge of the wedge a transverse recess 16 is provided of a diameter sufiicient to receive the rod 10. Ex- 30 tending longitudinally of the recess. 16 is a slot 1'! which terminates short of the opposite or thick end of the wedge. Extending along the longitudinal sides of the slot 1'7 are wedgeelements 18, as clearly shown in the figures referred to. The 36 wedge, as shown in Figure 9, comprises in effect two integral spaced angle irons which provides maximum strength without undue weight.

In Figure 4, forms or sheathings 19 are shown, between which the concrete 20 is poured. Gen- 40 erally this sheathing is formed of boards supported by studding 21 which intum is provided with. horizontal. walers 22. These members are usually secured together by nails. Suitable spacer blocks 23 commonly are used between the forms or sheathing 19 to hold theme in spaced apartrelation. The present tie rod clamps are passed: through suitable openings formed in the sheathing in alinement with a space 24 between the walers 22.

The rods of each pair of clamps before vtwins wall. The wedges 15 are placed in position by u first sliding the same over the ends of the respective clamp rods by means of an opening 16 and then moving the same transversely with respect to the rods at the appropriate slot 13 therein. Each of the wedge elements l8'will engage one of the respective shoulders 14 and thus hold the forms rigidly against outward movement by the pressure of the concrete placed between the sheathirigs 19.

When the concrete has set sufficiently the wedges 15 may be loosened by tapping the same with a hammer and before removing the wedge from the tie rod the wedge may be used as a wrench for unscrewing the rod from the stud bolt 11, which is commonly left imbedded in the concrete.

The inner ends of the rods 10 preferably are tapered slightly which facilitates their removal. 1

When the rods have been withdrawn and the forms removed, the openings left by the inner tapered ends of the rods are filled with concrete or other material.

The clamp rods 10 with their wedges 15 can thus be used repeatedly, it being necessary only to supply each pair of rods with a stud bolt 11.

In Figure a tie rod clamp is illustrated which performs not only the function of tying the forms together against outward movement, but serves as a substitute for the spacers 23.

When spacers 23 are used as shown in Figure 4,

the workmen are supposed to remove the same as the form is filled with concrete. Frequently this is overlooked with the result that when the wall is completed and the forms removed, wooden spacers are left in, the concrete 'wall to the detriment thereof.

In Figure 6 the sheathing 19 is shown supported by studding 21 which in turn has secured thereto the spaced walers 24 on each side of the wall. By using an additional pair of wedges indicated at 15a in Figure 6, on the inner sides of the walers in the relation shown, the forms can be supported against both outward and inward movement. Thus the wedges 15 prevent movement of the forms outwardly as the concrete is placed, while the wedges 15a prevent inward movement of the forms.

It will be understood, of course, that the sheathing is secured to the studding and the studding to the walers by any suitable means, such as nails, not shown.

It is frequently desirable to use the improved tie rod clamps for tying forms for walls having non-vertical sides such as illustrated in Figure 6. In this figure it will be seen that the sheathing 19 and the studding 21 are non-vertical and that the walers 24 are spaced apart sufliciently to enable the horizontally positioned tie rod to pass between the same. The wedge is positioned as described in connection with the previous figures, but it will be seen that it assumes an angle with reference to the rod and is not normal thereto as in the above described figures.

The shoulders 14 formed by the slots 13 preferably do not extend directly across the rod but recede from the central radial centers or apices thereof which correspond in length to the maxi-,

mum depth of the slots. The shoulders may be angular as shown in'Figures 1 to 4 and 6, or slightly curved as shown in Figure 5 whereby the respective wedges can pivot about the contactingportions of the shoulders into uniform contact with the form structure.

It will be noted that the wedges bear against the apex of the angle of the angular ShOl111G 9;

against the central portion of the curved shoulders, whereby the clamping strain sustained by the wedges is carried on or substantially on the direct center line of the rod clamp bars and stud.

bolts, notwithstanding that the wedges may be angularly disposed due to the non-vertical position of the form structures. v

Either the curved or angular form of shoulder may be employed, but I find it more economical to use the angular form insofar as advantages in manufacturing are concerned, and for the more direct clamping effect as hereinbefore mentioned. The construction of the shoulders of the form mentioned permits the wedge elements 18 to engage the shoulders centrally notwithstanding the fact that the. wedge itself is not normal to the tie rod as is shown in Figure 6.

The above uses of the improvements are illustrated in conjunction with wooden forms which.

are generally employed. However, steel forms sometimes are used in concrete construction and a modification of my tie rod clamping is illustrated in conjunction with steel forms in Figure 10 to 12 inclusive. In Figures 10 and 11 the sheathing 26 may be of sheet metal and. is supported by vertical beams 2'7 to which in turn are secured the horizontal channel members or walers 28. The sheathing 26 preferably is provided with the necessary openings for receiving the tie rods prior to erection.

The channel members 28 are used in pairs, preferably as shown in Figure 11, and are provided with keepers 29 which, as shown in Figure 10, are U-shaped members bolted or rivetedto the outer flanges of the channel members.

The tie rods 30 are provided with one or more slots 31 as in the above described modification of the invention, which cooperates with an o en wedge 32, which in turn cooperates with the shoulders 33 and 34 on, each side of the bolt, and also with the keepers 29 to support the forms against movement in either direction.

In dismantling the form the stud bolts34 may be left in the concrete as described above.

While I have shown and described certain features of my improvements for the purpose of illustration, I do not wish to be restricted specifically thereto, except as so limited by the appended claims.

Iclaim:

. 1. A form clamp comprising a member adapted to project beyond opposite sides of a structure to be supported, the projecting ends of said member each having opposed transverse slots the walls of which are inclined from the median lines thereof to define integral'V-shaped shoulders lying within the contour of said member, and a wedge for each end of said member having spaced wedging elements adapted to embrace the respective slotted portion of said member and adjustable angularly within said slots about the vertices of the adjacent shoulders.

2. A form clamp comprising a wedge having a pair of spaced wedging elements, and a rod having opposed transverse slots within which said wedging elements are angularly adjustable and forming opposite shoulders having radial wedge abutting edges corresponding in length to the maximum depth of the slots and disposed in an axial plane of the rod for cooperation with said wedging elements in different positions of angular adjustment thereof whereby the latter exert stresses on said rod in anaxial direction only.

3. A form clamp comprising a member adapted pair or opposite slots therein shaped to form a pair of integral shoulders lying within the contour of said member, and a wedge having a longitudinally extending passage for receiving the 6 slotted portion of said member and comprising a pair of wedging elements one on each side of said slot adapted to contact with the respective shoulders, said shoulders receding from the radial center lines thereof whereby said wedges can pivot about the central portions '0! said shoulders into uniform contact with theiorm structure.

CALVIN A. KEMPER. 

